Natural gas production



Nv.8,1928. GjJBALDWINh-TAL. 2,136,229

NATURAL GAS PRODUCT ION Filed May 1e, 1233 kPatented Nov. 8, 1938 x UNITED: STATES; mfr-awr OFFICE-.-

' x msazza N NATURAL .Gas PRODUCUON George Judsonaldwin and George Wesley Addy,` y f Cayuga, Ontario, Canada' y l Applicaties May 16, isssgsei'al No, 203,321`

- claimed (c1. lofazaa) f This inventionrelates to improvements in the y method of ejecting seep'age water/'from natural gas wells `and 'an automa'ti'c'apparatus therefor.

1 Natural gas'wells,`notwithstanding all known precautions such' as well casings, are usually en-k croachedV by"a" considerable quantity of water which gradually seeps in fromcthe water bearingr sand which is mostlyencountered above -the gas sand, untilr it rises t'othepoint where itI interferes with the flow of, gas to the surface,'whereupon the gas flow must be closed off and the water syphoned tothe surface through a' pipe provided for the purpose, by means of the gas Vpressure then transferred wholly to the water surface'.4

pumped to the surface vat 'great expense and coni` siderable loss of time. `In facton many occasions it is more economical to abandonthe well than to attempt waterevacuation.-

The principal object ofy this invention istoprofvide an improved apparatus yand process4 for removing. 'collectedjllwater from the bottom of a gas well, the apparatus and process being such that 'the pressure of'thevgas inl thjewell forms the sole means fore expelling, collected waterf Y, f A second important Objectis to provide an ap@ paratus of the class speciied which will be sim-` ple, durable,.felcient, and inexpensive toproyduce andto install. g l i j With the above and otherfobjects in viewas will beghereinafter apparent, the invention consists general of certain novel detailsof construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully de,-

and specifically claimed. l ,y Figure v1 is a diagrammatic section of a characteristic gas well showing atypical position lscribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing thereinlof the invention when used; and,

Figure 2 is an elevation in median section of theapparatus constructed in accordance with thisv invention.

In the figure showing la gas well, A indicates `the well shaft; Byth'e gas` tubing; C, the water pipe; D, the rubber packer; E, the water intake port; F, the ground surface; G, the usual top soil;

H, rock; J, slate; K, water sand; L, second strata of slate; and M, the gas sand. ,Introduced in the water pipe is the apparatus constituting the subject vmatterwof this invention and which is in'= dicated in general by N in Figure 1 and shown separately in sectional detailin Figure 2. y

First it should be understood that in evacuat- 'after the water inpipe C will recede andequaliae In man3/,instances the volume ,of'water becomes 'ing water from a gaswell the pressure of gas on unless such recession' ischecked. N l

` ",Inits presntqemb'odim'ent vthe invention conf/ sists of a tubular devicey indicated in general by N and situated in the water pipe C above th'elevel vof', lthe'wa'ter sand.r Ithas walls'N' of internally increased 'thlckne'ssclose to its endsy which: are 1'5 internally pipe threadedv at lN2 for thejreception l v of theconforming externally threadedends of the contiguous pipe sections between which i'tis interposed foruse.r4 v-z i f lSlidingly arranged'in the cylindrical lowerrnost 20 end ofjthe tube N is'a'hollw'piston or `plunger having an upwardly extending skIrtII). In" the piston head ID'is an automatic'valve, preferably ofthe ball` type, the ballbein indicated by I I and its seat'in the plstonfhead by I2`. It willfbe 25 seen.that, this valvewill act yto permit upward flow and to prevent down orreturnflow. It'will be observed also that'upon movementofthe pis# ton to'b'ottom dead centerits frustro-conical or' truncated head will seat upon thefshoulder Il 30 formed' by the 'reduced internal4v diameter of the tubeandwhen `thus, seated will valvularly close Journalledin theskirt'of the piston is alwrist 35 pin.|4 upwardly from kwhichxextends a rod".I Well above theV piston this -rod passes through fa the .tube against leakage between the piston' and sleeveIB'. which dependscoaxially of Ithetube from a bracket I1 extending'inward'ly from the tube wall.' The bracket has a passage It leading 40 from outside the tube` to inside said sleeve.

The upper end ofthe rod, Il'terminates in a head `I9 the ,diameter of `which conforms to the internaljdiameter of the sleeve, and when the piston and frodfare at upper dead centerthe head y I9fcloses ther passagel. `The' h'ead'fivl!" is proyided with a conical tip20 adapted to seat ragainst the shoulder 2i 'formed'at the mouth of the sleeve by reducing the internal diameter thereof, thereby constituting a needle valve to close the core of the sleeve from the tube.

The lower end of the sleeve is permanently closed by meansl of a plug 22 which is cored In conformity to the rod I5 and also serves as a guide therefor.y Sealing the sleeve is a packing ring 23 surmounted by apacking retaining washer 2l which further serves as seat for a helical spring 25 which expands against the shoulder of the rod head i9 for normal closure retainance oi.' that valve.

In operation, the valve B' is closed thus building up gas pressure in the well. The water pipe C, in which the tube N is inserted, is then opened by opening valve C', thus releasing pressure at the head of pipe C. The water in well bottom is then forced up the pipe C and through the tube N, with such velocity that the water will surge above the normal level that the gas pressure will hold, whereupon the s returning surge of water in pipe C automatically closes ball valve and divides the column oi water. Coincident with closure of the ball valve the weight of the upper part of the column of water falls upon the piston, forcing piston to the lower end of its movement, thereby opening needle valve for the admission of gas into water pipe C, under the upper column of water, whereupon the upper column of water is then forced up the pipe C and ejected at the well head. Upon the reduction of the weight of the ,upper column on the piston the needle valve assisted by the spring will close and shut on? the gas,at this point, allowing water in well bottom to be forced through tube N, up portion of kpipe C previously evacuated. Thus the cycle is repeated again and again until evacuation is complete. Y'

There has thus been provided a. simple and efiicient device of the kind described and Ior the purpose specied.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to conne the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.l

We claim:

1. `A tubular body for insertion in a pipe line, an internal valve seat in said body, a piston including a skirt and a frustro-conical piston head having an axial opening, said head being adapted for engagement with said seat, a ball movably coniined within the skirt and adapted for engagement with the rim of said opening, a piston rod associated with the piston, means in the opposite end of the tubular body establishing com.- munication through the body wall, and a shutof! valve carried Vby the piston rod and assoc iated with said meansand controlled by the movement of the piston to close said means when the piston is in one position and to open said means when the piston is in another position.

2. In a. device oi' the kind described, a casing arranged for vertically positioning in a well, a tubular piston slidably mounted in the lower part -offsaid casing, and upwardly opening check valve at the lower end of said piston, a gas inlet at the upper part of the casing affording communication from the exterior to the interior oi the casing, a valve normally closing said gas inlet and movable downwardly in the casing to open the inlet, a tubular guide extending downwardly in said casing, a valve stem carrying said lvalve and having its lower end projecting downwardly from the guide and connected to said piston, and a spring in said tubular guide urging said valve to closed position.

3. In a device of the kind described, a casing arranged for interposition in the water flow line of a gas well, a tubular piston slidably mounted in the lower part oi said casing and having an upwardly facing valve seat at its lower end, a ball valve normally resting on said seat, a gas inlet at the upper part of the casing aording communication from the exterior to the interior `ofthe casing, a valve normally closing said gas inlet and movable downwardly in the casing to open the inlet, a tubular guide extending downwardly in said casing, a valve stem carrying said valve and having its lower end projecting downwardly from the guide, a cross member extending across the upper part of said piston and supported in the piston wall, means connecting said valve stern and cross member, and a spring in said tubular guide urging said valve to closed position.

-4. In a device of the kind described, a casing arranged for interposition in the water flow line of a gas well, a tubular piston mounted in the lower part of said casing, an upwardly opening check valve at the lower end of said piston, a gas inlet at the upper part oi the casing affording communication from the exterior to the interior of the casing, a valve normally closing said gas inlet and movable downwardly to open the inlet, a tubular guide extending downwardly in said casing and having an open lower end, a tubular closure iitted in the lower end of said guide, a valve stem carrying said valve and slidably iitting said closure, means connecting 'the lower end oi the valve stem to the piston, and a spring in said tubular guide between said closure and the last mentioned valve.

5. In a device of the kind described, a casing varranged for connection in'the water flow line of a gas well, a tubular piston slidably mounted in the lower part oi said casing and having an inverted frusto-conical bottom providing a centrally disposed opening, said bottom forming a valve seat, a ball valve normally seating on said bottom, a gas inlet at the upper part of the casing affording communication from the exterior to the interior of the casing, said gas inlet having a horizontal leg extending radially inthe casing and avertical leg vopening upwardly from the inner end of the horizontal leg, a tubular guide extending downwardly from the lower side of said horizontal leg in alinement with the vertical leg, a gas valve located at the junction of the horizontal and vertical legs of the inlet and normally closing said inlet, said valve being slidable downwardly in said guide, a valve stem connecting said pistn and said gas valve, and a spring urging said gas valve to closed position.

GEORGE JUDSON BALDWIN. GEORGE WESLEY ADDY. 

